Tag: George Holani

Seahawks elevate RB George Holani and T McClendon Curtis to active roster

Seahawks elevate RB George Holani and T McClendon Curtis to active roster

The Seattle Seahawks listed starting running back Kenneth Walker III and right tackle George Fant as DOUTBFUL headed into Week 2. While no official word has been given as of now about their game status, we can read the tea leaves.

And the tea leaves say running back George Holani and tackle McClendon Curtis have been elevated off the practice squad.

Before the Walker injury, the Seahawks had three running backs on their active roster. Walker himself, Zach Charbonnet, and Kenny McIntosh. Despite a strong preseason from Holani – 15 carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns – it was not enough to convince Seattle to roster four running backs. Fortunately, Holani cleared Waivers and the Seahawks were able to bring him back to their practice squad.

As for McClendon Curtis, he was originally signed off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad last year, and he found himself back on Seattle’s practice squad after being cut during the 53-man roster deadline this August.

Now, both have made their way back to the active roster just in time for Week 2 against the New England Patriots.

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5 most important Seattle Seahawks practice squad signings

5 most important Seattle Seahawks practice squad signings

The Seattle Seahawks officially announced a 15-man practice squad on Wednesday afternoon. No, general manager John Schneider didn’t retain every talent via the practice squad that he probably wanted to. The Carolina Panthers claimed ex Seahawks linebacker Jon Rhattigan and EDGE Jamie Sheriff on waivers, potentially altering Schneider’s plans.

Schneider and the Seahawks still put together an intriguing practice squad. Mixing veterans with developmental rookies, Seattle’s backup squad has a healthy balance of players that could immediately help and ones that could turn into long-term contributors. With that in mind, we’ve identified the five most important practice squad signings.

George Holani, RB

Many believed the Seahawks would retain four running backs on the active roster, but Schneider stuck with just three. Sophomore back Kenny McIntosh won the RB3 job, and the Seahawks choose to pass undrafted rookie George Holani through waivers. Thankfully, Holani cleared, and has been placed on the practice squad after rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns during the preseason.

Artie Burns, CB

Veteran cornerback Artie Burns wasn’t subject to the waiver wire process because he’s a vested veteran. Burns could have signed with any team of his choosing after being released, but he opted to re-join the Seahawks via the practice squad. Retaining the experienced cover-man, who occasionally worked with the first-team defense in training camp as the nickel corner, was a big victory for Schneider.

Michael Barrett, LB

The Seahawks acquired rookie linebacker Michael Barrett in a trade with the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Mike Jackson. Seattle still waived Barrett, but managed to get him back on the practice squad. He’ll spend the season developing under coaches he’s familiar with from his time at Michigan, including special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh.

McClendon Curtis, IOL

Sophomore blocker McClendon Curtis spent the majority of last season on the 53-man roster. This offseason, he proved versatile enough to work at both offensive tackle and his more prominent guard positions. If the Seahawks suffer an injury across the offensive line, Curtis will be ready to join the game-day roster.

Easop Winston Jr., WR

Eason Winston Jr. was Seattle’s most productive wide receiver throughout the preseason. He posted team-highs in receptions (8), receiving yards (99), and touchdowns (1). The Seahawks were deep at wideout, so Winston Jr. had to settle for a developmental spot on the practice squad.

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RB George Holani and 14 others signed to Seahawks practice squad

RB George Holani and 14 others signed to Seahawks practice squad

The Seattle Seahawks have their official active roster set, and now they have their practice squad ready to go as well. Among those on the team are a few notable names, such as running back George Holani, wide receiver Easop Winston Jr., and linebacker Michael Barrett who the team acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

Keeping these players in the Seahawks system is certainly a win, especially in the case of Holani. He played well in the preseason, and could be a good insurance piece should something happen injury wise to any of Seattle’s top three running backs.

Here is the full list of the practice squad, as announced by the team via their Twitter page:

  • LB Michael Barrett
  • DT Kyon Barrs
  • S Marquise Blair
  • CB Artie Burns
  • T McClendon Curtis
  • T Garret Greenfield
  • RB George Holani
  • DE DeVere Levelston
  • TE Tyler Mabry
  • LB Patrick O’Connell
  • S Ty Okada
  • G Raiqwon O’Neal
  • T Max Pircher
  • WR Cody White
  • WR Easop Winston Jr.

 

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Full list of 2024 Seahawks roster cuts

Full list of 2024 Seahawks roster cuts

The NFL’s deadline of 4:00 pm Eastern/1:00 pm Pacific to make the final roster cuts has come and gone. The Seattle Seahawks have officially set their 53-man roster, and the full team can be seen here.

Unfortunately, this means there are plenty of young men who will not be suiting up in Action Green and College Navy when Week 1 rolls around. Below is the full list of players who were waived, cut, and placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Waived:

  • LB Sundiata Anderson
  • LB Michael Barrett 
  • DT Kyon Barrs
  • CB Lance Boykin
  • LB Nelson Ceaser
  • T McClendon Curtis
  • WR Dee Eskridge
  • TE Michael Ezeike
  • TE Devon Garrison
  • LB Easton Gibbs
  • T Garret Greenfield
  • WR Hayden Hatten
  • RB George Holani
  • CB D.J. James
  • CB Carlton Johnson
  • DT Mario Kendricks
  • DE DeVere Levelston
  • RB Kobe LEwis
  • TE Tyler Mabry
  • LB Patrick O’Connell
  • S Ty Okada
  • G Raiqwon O’Neal
  • T Max Pircher
  • LB Jon Rhattigan
  • RB Kairee Robinson
  • WR Ty Scott
  • LB Jamie Sheriff
  • WR Cody White
  • WR Easop Winston Jr.

Terminated Veteran Contract:

  • S marquise Blair
  • CB Artie Burns
  • LB Blake Lynch
  • QB PJ Walker

Waived/Injured

  • TE Jack Westover

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform

  • T Abe Lucas
  • S Jerrick Reed II
  • NT Cameron Young

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Seahawks waive RB George Holani

Seahawks waive RB George Holani

In one of the bigger surprise moves, the Seattle Seahawks have waived running back George Holani. Undrafted out of Boise State, the former Bronco was one of the more notable players during the preseason, as he battled with seventh rounder Kenny McIntosh to be the third string running back. Now, he’s headed to the waiver wire.

Both McIntosh and Holani played well in the preseason. Overall, Holani rushed 15 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns. But it wasn’t just what he brought to the ground attack. Holani proved his worth in blocking as well, something the Seahawks are always in desperate need of given their weaknesses along the offensive line.

Overall, it is understandable that Holani lost the battle to McIntosh. The deciding factor was likely in the Week 2 loss to the Titans, where the Seahawks fell 16-15 and could not run the ball at all in the second half. In that game, Holani had all of three yards on two rushes, whereas McIntosh had 46 yards on eight carries.

However, it is still a bit surprising to see Seattle let him go. His performance seemed worthy enough to keep on the team. If he is able to clear the waiver wire, he will be an excellent candidate to return to the practice squad.

But, that is a pretty big “if” at this point.

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Did Seahawks preseason Week 2 indicate who’s winning RB3 battle?

Did Seahawks preseason Week 2 indicate who’s winning RB3 battle?

One of the biggest remaining positional battles on the Seattle Seahawks’ roster is the perceived one at No. 3 running back. While the Seahawks are still searching for their starting right guard between Christian Haynes and Anthony Bradford, the ongoing competition between Kenny McIntosh and George Holani is also capturing intrigue.

Seattle’s Week 2 preseason defeat to the Tennessee Titans could have hinted at how head coach Mike Macdonald and his staff currently see things. McIntosh received the bulk of the workload against the Titans, easily leading all backs in the snap count with 23 plays, accounting for more than 52% of Seattle’s offensive plays. McIntosh did a fantastic job maximizing those opportunities.

McIntosh rushed for 46 yards via eight carries, averaging an explosive 5.8 yards per carry. His longest run of the day picked up 12, and the former Georgia standout also recorded two receptions for 17 additional yards. McIntosh flashed dual-threat ability, paired with a decisive running style.

Meanwhile Holani earned just nine offensive snaps. The undrafted free agent from Boise State rushed twice for three yards. There are multiple ways to interpret Holani’s lack of usage in Nashville. He’s been impressive all offseason long, making it likely Seattle’s decision-making brass has seen enough from him on offense and special teams to make their determination.

Perhaps the aforementioned “RB3” battle is no battle at all. Sophomore running back Zach Charbonnet has been nursing a lower body injury. Though he recently returned to practice in pads, the Seahawks may ease him back in. Retaining both McIntosh and Holani remains a distinct possibility.

Macdonald’s usage of both McIntosh and Holani versus the Titans indicate they’re in good graces. McIntosh put forth a convincing performance that proved he still belongs. Holani has shown enough to warrant a roster spot.

Seattle should keep both McIntosh and Holani when trimming down their roster to 53 next week.

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Backup Seahawks players to watch vs. Titans in preseason Week 2

Backup Seahawks players to watch vs. Titans in preseason Week 2

The Seattle Seahawks concluded their two-day joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. The final of two shared sessions was particularly physical and taxing. Head coach Mike Macdonald will respond by letting the second-and-third stringers play the majority of Saturday’s preseason game.

There’s a decent chance not a single of Seattle’s 22 projected starters will take a snap versus the Titans. It will represent the best opportunity for fringe roster players to make their case ahead of 53-man roster cutdowns. We’ve identified backup talents worth monitoring against the Titans.

George Holani, RB

Undrafted running back George Holani is attempting to win the RB3 job from sophomore Kenny McIntosh. Holani rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown in Seattle’s first preseason game. He should receive an extended look versus the Titans after getting some first-team reps at joint practice.

Easop Winston Jr., WR

Eason Winston Jr. was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Seahawks player in their Week 1 preseason game. Winston recorded two receptions for 31 receiving yards, including an explosive 21-yard gain. He’s attempting to capture a reserve roster spot at receiver behind D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jake Bobo.

Brady Russell, TE

Sophomore tight end Brady Russell scored Seattle’s only passing touchdown last weekend, catching a 13-yard score from Sam Howell. Russell should play a lot on Saturday with starting tight end Noah Fant nursing a minor injury that’s likely to keep him sidelined for a meaningless exhibition game.

Carlton Johnson, CB

Seahawks undrafted cornerback Carlton Johnson consistently put forth strong reps during one-on-one drills with the Titans receivers. There’s a lot of competition at reserve cornerback with the Seahawks having drafted two rookies in Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James. Johnson needs to carry over his joint practice performances into Saturday’s game.

Tyrice Knight, LB

Fifth-round rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight put forth an eye-opening performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first preseason game. Knight should see another heavy workload versus the Titans with Jerome Baker and Jon Rhattigan nursing injuries. The other projected starter, Tyrel Dodson, is unlikely to play as well.

Easton Gibbs, LB

Undrafted rookie Easton Gibbs is in his second stint with the Seahawks already. He was waived earlier this summer after signing with the team as a UDFA after the 2024 NFL Draft. Macdonald needed bodies at off-ball linebacker for joint practices with Baker and Rhattigan being non-participants. Gibbs needs to take advantage of increased play-time on Saturday.

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RB3 battle to take center stage for Seahawks in Week 2 preseason game

RB3 battle to take center stage for Seahawks in Week 2 preseason game

The Seattle Seahawks concluded joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday and Thursday. Due to the physical nature of those padded sessions, head coach Mike Macdonald has confirmed that very few (or even none) starters will play in the preseason game on Saturday. Starting running back Kenneth Walker III is one of the studs expected to sit.

Backup ball carrier Zach Charbonnet missed both practices with the Titans with a minor injury and will almost certainly miss Saturday’s exhibition contest. That should place increased emphasis on the ongoing position battle between Kenny McIntosh and George Holani to be the team’s No. 3 back.

McIntosh, a sophomore seventh-round pick, entered camp as the slight favorite. Seahawks general manager John Schneider liked Holani, who he notably offered $115,000 in guaranteed salary during undrafted free agency. McIntosh and Holani have been entrenched in a battle ever since.

McIntosh rushed for a team-high 40 yards in the preseason Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. McIntosh averaged five yards per carry via eight opportunities. Holani was impressive in his own right, rushing for 24 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Holani’s score was an impressive 11 yard scamper.

Mike Macdonald and his coaching staff have consistently shuffled the order. In Wednesday’s practice, Holani consistently worked with the first-team offense alongside Walker at running back, according to Bob Condotta. That theme generally continued at Thursday’s session, with one notable change. When the offense conducted it’s final two-minute drill, McIntosh entered at running back, per Condotta.

The Seahawks are encouraged by their running back depth. Competition has helped develop both McIntosh and Holani. The battle could be settled this weekend. McIntosh and Holani are unlikely to receive better opportunities than Saturday’s preseason contest will represent to convince the coaching staff they deserve the 53-man roster spot.

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Seahawks ran the ball exceptionally well in 16-3 win over Chargers

Seahawks ran the ball exceptionally well in 16-3 win over Chargers

The Seattle Seahawks had a solid, foundational, win over the Los Angeles Chargers to kick off the preseason. It may not have been flashy or too exciting, but it was a great way to start. Winning 16-3 is not as impressive as in which the manner it was won.

The Seahawks dominated time of possession, nearly doubling the Chargers. What impressed me the most is how they were able to do so, and it was running the ball. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet did not play on Saturday against Los Angeles. Instead, the likes of George Holani, Kenny McIntosh, and Kobe Lewis took the lion’s share of carries, as all three are competing for that No. 3 running backs spot.

So far, the competition is as tight as ever. As a team, the Seahawks rushed for 156 yards on 39 total carries. McIntosh led the way with 40 yards on eight carries. Lewis followed suit with 33 yards on ten carries himself, with Holani rushing six times for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Seattle has struggled to get their run game be a more consistent factor for the last two years. This is all the more frustrating because it does not appear to be a talent issue.

The Seahawks did something tonight I did not see much of last year: they sustained long drives. They ate up the clock and managed to convert on third downs. In fact, as a team they were 11-for-20 overall. One of those they did not get was at the end of the game when they were already leading 16-3 and the win was assured, and the one before that was still within field goal range to make the game truly out of reach for Los Angeles.

The ability to sustain drives is going to be critical for this team, especially with a defense rebuilding. The Seahawks defensively last year were not good enough to be left stranded on the field, thanks to an offense that routinely struggled on crucial third downs.

Again, I am well aware this is merely a preseason game when both teams are playing the most vanilla game plans imaginable with second and third stringers. But still, it is hard to not be encouraged that Seattle was able to engineer multiple drives of 12+ plays. Even the one that resulted in a turnover on downs at the Chargers’ 2-yard line ate up eight minutes of clock, winding the third quarter down to a point where Los Angeles had only one possession in this quarter.

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Seahawks win preseason debut 16-3 against Chargers

Seahawks win preseason debut 16-3 against Chargers

The Seattle Seahawks have started exactly where they left off when they played their last game in 2024: with a victory. On January 7th of this year, the Seahawks outlasted the Arizona Cardinals 21-20. Tonight, they took care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers with a 16-3 victory to open the preseason.

Seattle started the game with a pair of punts, but eventually found their footing by engineering a 12-play, 59-yard scoring drive. Sam Howell found tight end Brady Russell for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks an early 7-0 lead.

They did not have to wait long for their next points, as Coby Bryant intercepted Chargers’ quarterback Easton Stick on his first pass of the ensuing drive. Four plays later, running back George Holani scampered in for an 11-yard touchdown run. Kicker Jason Myers did miss the ensuing PAT, but a 13-0 lead was established, which proved to be insurmountable for Los Angeles.

The Seahawks ended the first half with three-straight punts, and a kneeldown with only seconds remaining in the second quarter. To start the third, Howell led the Seahawks offense on a 14-play, 84-yard drive which ended at LA’s two-yard line when Holani was stuffed on fourth down. It was the closest the Seahawks would get to the endzone for the rest of the game.

Fortunately, it did not matter. Seattle’s offense ate up plenty of clock with that drive, taking up 8:15. Later, PJ Walker led the offense on another lengthy drive… going 77-yards in 14 plays, lasting over six minutes in the fourth quarter which ended in a 48-yard field goal to go up 16-3.

As for the defense, Seattle kept Los Angeles in check. Any shortcomings from the offense were more than made up for by the defense, which stiffled anything the Chargers were attempting to do. LA was held to only three points, 198 yards, nine total first downs and only 2-of-13 on third down conversions. The Seahawks also dominated time of possession 39:09 to 20:51.

The closest the Chargers got to threatening Seattle was late in the fourth quarter when they made it all the way to the Seahawks’ 17-yard line. However, they turned the ball over on downs, effectively ending the game.

Seattle starts the preseason 1-0. Next up: a trip to the Music City where they will play the Tennessee Titans, next Saturday at 4:00 pm Pacifict time.